1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of powdered hydrated emulsifiers commonly used in the food and cosmetic industries and to the emulsifier compositions themselves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Surface active agents (emulsifiers) are commonly utilized in the food and cosmetic industries for stablizing and thereby enhancing the physical characteristics of various bakery products, cake icings, shortenings, whipped toppings, and cosmetics. Currently, these emulsifiers are commercially available as powders, plastics or hydrates. As is to be expected, each of these three forms has certain advantages and disadvantages with regard to their handling characteristics and functionalities.
While powdered emulsifiers are most easily handled, they are most difficult to disperse in aqueous and use applications. Accordingly, while easier to handle, powders are the least functional. At the other end of the spectrum are the hydrated emulsifiers. The hydrated emulsifiers offer the best functionality in terms of being readily dispersed in aqueous systems, but are considered extremely inconvenient or messy to handle. The plastic emulsifiers might be termed the "happy medium" of the state of the art. Being semi-solid the plastic emulsifiers are slightly more difficult to handle than the powders, but they do not exhibit the functionality of the hydrates.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for the formation of "minimal hydrates" of emulsifier compositions. Another object of the present invention is the powdered hydrated emulsifier compositions themselves. The term "minimal hydrates" refers to the preparation of mixtures of emulsifiers and water that will yield powdered products exhibiting characteristics of functionality approaching those of the fully hydrated emulsifiers which are commercially available today. As stated above, it is, of course, known in the art that to hydrate the emulsifier composition will increase its functionality.
In this regard attention is invited to U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,307 to Norris. Therein a hydrated emulsifier composition is disclosed, but that patent specifically teaches that when the water content falls below about 22% by weight, the emulsifier becomes dysfunctional. In similar fashion U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,459 to Norris teaches that when less than 30% by weight of the emulsifier composition is used for hydration a loss of plasticity and functionality of the emulsifier often results. In fact, that patent teaches that the water content of the hydrated emulsifier should be between about 45 and 55% in order to achieve acceptable results. A similar teaching of a water content of from 20-80% by weight is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,580 to Galusky. In fact, only a single prior art reference has been discovered wherein less than 20% by weight water is present in the emulsifier composition. However, this teaching, found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,993 to Langhans, is directed to a clear liquid emulsifier baking composition wherein the water is added to the emulsifier as a clarifier and is but one of many possible clarifiers selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, water, ethanol and edible oils. This patent to Langhans presents no teaching concerning the use of these clarifiers for the purpose of preparing powdered hydrated emulsifiers.
Accordingly, it is clear that there is a great need in the art not only for powdered hydrated emulsifiers, but also for an economical method of their preparation. The resulting powdered hydrated emulsifiers would exhibit two highly desirable characteristics: first, they would exhibit functionalities approaching those of the hydrates; and second, they would possess handling characteristics typical of the powdered forms.